Characteristics and Variety of Living Organisms

Characteristics of living organisms

M ovement

R espiration

S ensitivity 

G rowth
R eproduction

E xcretion

N utrition

Variety of living organisms

Differences and similarities between plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, fungi, protoctists:

	Multi-cellular or Single-cellular	Key cell structures	Food store	Other distinguishing features
Plants	Multi-cellular	Chloroplasts Cellulose cell wall Vacuole Nucleus Cell membrane Mitochondria Cytoplasm	Starch	Leaves Roots Photosynthesis
Animals	Multi-cellular	Nucleus Cytoplasm Cell membrane Mitochondria	Glycogen  (and fat)	Vertebrae Blood More movement
Fungi	Multi-cellular	Food storage granule Chitin cell wall Vacuole Nucleus Cytoplasm Cell membrane	Glycogen	Mycelium containing hyphae Budding to asexually reproduce
Bacteria	Single-cellular	Chromosome (nucleoid) Cell wall Cytoplasm Plasmid Flagella Cell membrane	-	No nucleus Single circular chromosome
Protoctists	Single-cellular	Chloroplasts Flagella Cell wall Vacuole Nucleus Cell membrane Plasmid Cytoplasm	-	Some are more like plants, e.g. algae Some more like animals, e.g. amoeba
Viruses	Single-cellular	RNA/DNA Protein coat Cell membrane	-	Always parasites, reproducing in living things